California 200 desert race truck kills 8 injures 10
Back to the Mojave Desert, for a tragedy this time….
Authorities report that eight people were killed and 10 injured when Brett M. Sloppy of San Marcos lost control of his modified 2000 Ford Ranger at 45-50 miles/hour, and the truck went airborne and landed on spectators. The driver was not charged, and alcohol was not involved. The driver was racing in the California 200 desert race in Lucerne Valley.
“The 200-mile race, held on desolate Soggy Dry Lake on federal desert land just east of the San Bernardino Mountains, was sanctioned by Mojave Desert Racing and was part of a seven-race circuit. Off-roaders race around the 50-mile-long loop four times, reaching speeds upward of 60 mph.”
Six spectators died at the scene, and two later after nine people were airlifted to local hospitals. Of the injured, five sustained major injuries, and five had minor injuries.
According to the LATimes online:
“The San Bernardino County coroner’s office identified seven of the dead: Brian Wolfin, 27, of Escondido; Anthony Sanchez, 23, of Escondido; Aaron Farkas, 25, of Escondido; Andrew Therrin, 22, of Riverside; Zachary Freeman, 24, of Fillmore; Dustin C. Malson, 24, of Ventura; and Danica Frantzich, 20, of Las Vegas.”
The spot where the racer lost control is called the “rock pile.” The track winds between giant boulders and up a small hill, which sends many of the off-roaders airborne. The crowd was reported to be dangerously close to the track, with no concrete barriers between vehicles and spectators, as shown in an online video of the 2009 race.
-Bill at
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